1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to band saw wheels or pulleys for supporting and driving band saw blades and, more particularly, to a composite meat cutting band saw wheel.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Band saw pulley wheels have traditionally been made from cast iron, and this is particularly true in the meat cutting trade where special attention is directed to avoiding contamination of the meat being cut. Cast iron provides the proper frictional engaging surface for the band saw blade, and the material does not wear away in the form of iron dust or grime to adulterate the meat.
Early development of meat cutting band saws has involved the machining of the wheel surface to provide a proper taper to maintain the blade properly positioned under the considerable pressure exerted when sawing through meat and bone. Spiral or concentric grooves are provided in the wheel periphery which engage the band saw blade to maintain a frictional engaging surface even though the blade becomes covered with a slippery film of glutinous or oleaginous material produced in sawing through bone, marrow and fats of the meat. U.S. Pat. No. 2,081,033 to Carl G. Biro sets forth the design critera for the wheel configuration.
With increasing attention being directed to maintain proper sanitary conditions fostered by governmental agencies, the exposed saw surfaces are washed frequently, often with detergents or strong cleaners, which unfortunately promotes rusting of the cast iron wheels. This is particularly true in the supermarket environment. This in turn leads to an unsightly appearance of the wheel's surface with possibility of contamination of the meat. Substitute of other, non-rusting, materials for cast iron has not proved successful. For example, aluminum provides the desired clean wheel face appearance, but the working peripheral surface wears away with blade contact to produce a contaminating grime. Likewise, stainless steel provides the desired clean wheel face appearance, but does not provide a proper frictional surface for engagement of the band saw blade.